for the next steps, go to knowhow2go.org. commissioner mirkarimi: good morning, i'm ross mirkarimi, joint joined me with me is super swriesor cohen, supervisor campos is absent away for business. we'll want to take a motion in a second to excuse his absence. i don't expect this to be a very long meeting as i am also concurrently sitting on the budget and finance committee which is meeting across the hall. i'm happy that we are able to deliberate on two important items. before we start, can i entertain a motion for the excuse of supervisor campos? motion. woid, so moved. madam clerk, good morning. please read item number one.

>> good morning. item one, resolution authorizing the department of emergency management as primary grantee and fiscal agent for the capital-bay planning area to retroactively accept and expend a fiscal year 2010 interoperable emergency communications program grant award in the amount of $1,227,632 from the united states department of homeland security, through the california emergency management agency, for the period of july 1, 2010, to march 31, 2013. >> very good. anybody like to present on this at all? please. >> good morning, supervisor. mary landers from the department of emergency management. this is a $1.2 million award, funded through the department of homeland security. through the state of california to the department of emergency

management. and the department is acting as the fiscal agent. and i would be happy to answer any questions you might have about it. commissioner mirkarimi: any questions? i had mine answered in meetings we already had. so thank you for that. i think it's very straightforward. just one -- on the 700 megahertz system, which agencies within san francisco will be utilizing that system? >> supervisor, to the best of my knowledge it's all the first responder agencies, fire, police, sheriff, department of public health. commissioner mirkarimi: this will also be a complement to the current 800 megahertz system they currently use as well too,? >> it will, supervisor. commissioner mirkarimi: i'm curious, what does that look like practically speaking? they have two systems they are carrying with them in the event of an emergency? in other words, for simplistic

reasons, two walkie-talkies? >> i don't believe so, supervisor. michelle from the department could speak more technically than i can. but i don't think so. i think they work in conjunction with each other. commissioner mirkarimi: just want to make sure that we have a more pictorial idea of what this looks like so we are not weighing down people just how feasible this is. >> good morning, michelle with the department of emergency management. with the 700 megahertz voice communication systems, the goal will be to have all radio capable of both operation on the 800 megahertz existing system, as well as the new 700 megahertz system. as we start rolling out the 700 megahertz brond band system, we'll look at a separate device initially, and as industry moves forward to developing one twice that involves both the data and voice from the same system, then we'll look to procure those devices. >> the idea to actually more of

both into one -- morph both into one single device. >> that is correct. we are hoping industry moves in that direction and we are giving a lot of feedback to industry. our need for public safety. commissioner mirkarimi: how does this benefit on talking to other jurisdictions? >> the goal would be that all jurisdictions would have the same technology platform as well as the same frequency band so that a device from one manufacturer for example san francisco would be compatible with the system and infrastructure in another jurisdiction, neighboring jurisdiction. commissioner mirkarimi: before when we were all deliberating on this in my office, does this cost cover our needs? or are we eventually going to have to complement -- supplement the cost to make sure we'll be able to cover? >> in future, in subsequent fiscal years, we'll look to

identify additional costs, additional budgets so we are able to procure the new -- we will look to develop a budget that will allow us to purchase the new equipment. so in subsequent fiscal years we'll look to dedicate funds for that need. commissioner mirkarimi: very good. any -- thanks. any public comments? thank you. i don't have any more questions. any public comments? seeing none, public comment is closed. may we take this? motion to approve with recommendation. so moved. very good. madam clerk, item number two, please. >> item two, resolution aproving the joint powers agreement establishing the bay area regional interoperable communication systems authority and authorizing payment of membership fees commissioner mirkarimi: director, welcome. >> thank you very much. anne, executive director of

department of emergency management. and captain daniel mahoney, who has been our police counterpart on this project. it's a pleasure to be before you today and it's very nice that the item you just heard actually moifs very well into this -- morphs very well into this item. the 700 megahertz we were just talking about to really create this regional interoperability program, we have funding for bariks. which is the bay area regional interoperable communication system. it's a regional voice and data communication netanyahuwork. the project started in 2011 when the mayors of oakland, san jose, and san francisco got together and said this was something needed to the region. there was government money through the ara funding.

it was called betop, and motorola applied for that funding on behalf of the region. with $50.2 million, i believe, and they put in $22 million match. so motorola received -- has about $75 million in the project. we have been working very hard with all of our regional partners to come up with a j.p.a. because we really need to have a governing body for this regional project. and since i have been at department of emergency management in january, it's been my number one priority to go through these negotiations and make sure we had a j.p.a. very happy to present it to you today. i know that captain mahoney could answer any specific questions and also michelle who was just up here from my staff is really our technical expert on the project. happy to answer questions. think -- i think that the

benefits to san francisco not just the region are tremendous and will allow us to talk back and forth in our public safety agencies to be able to share data, things like if you are at the site of a fire to be able to pull up the building blueprints and be able to send that to know exactly where the firefighters are going in the building. things like that that at this point are not available. commissioner mirkarimi: very good. captain mahoney, welcome. would you like to add anything to it? >> no. just what we talked about i know in the past, the j.p.a. is structured so that there are 19 separate seats on this j.p.a. it takes 10 cities or counties, whichever, to decide on the j.p.a. for it to be functional. there are a number of decisions that need to be made at the first meeting of the j.p.a. directors. such as who will be secretary, who will be the fiscal agent. who will be attorney staff for

review and all that. it's an excellent opportunity for san francisco to be -- get in on the first steps of this and maybe make some of those decisions. and possibly get some of the funding for those positions to the city and county if we decide to be the fiscal agent. since we have two seats there, the recommendation that i have is that we move cautiously but quickly in getting on to this j.p.a. >> i -- commissioner mirkarimi: i would agree, so far to date it's been our role in the area, through the grants we have been the ones assigned to farm out those particular grants to other jurisdictions, isn't that correct? >> that's correct, supervisor. san francisco has been the fiscal agent for the region since the inception of the grants. commissioner mirkarimi: why wouldn't just be it a natural assumption we would retain that sort of leadership role as we set way into this agreement? >> that's a very good question. i spent my afternoon yesterday

with the uwasi approval authority, we are putting together our next m.o.u., and san francisco will continue to being the fiscal agent the next three years at least for those grants. but believe me there was a lot of discussion amongst the group. they see other counties see the possibility of additional funding if they became the fiscal agent, but clearly from our perspective, san francisco should continue in that role. these are homeland security terrorism grants, and san francisco obviously would be the area if a terrorist came to the bay area, probably we would be the target. so it makes sense we also have the infrastructure to be able to support the processing of the grants. it's a lot of money. so my sense is that, yes, we will continue to be in that role. commissioner mirkarimi: just for the general public's

edification, they might catch this hearing, in the middle of the night, when they have insomnia or something, and they decide to watch this, why don't you explain quickly what this significance of moving to a j.p.a. does for san francisco to maintain that role versus if we were not on it. what sort of is the intensic benefit for us to move into this kind of collaborative body? >> if we were not part of the joint powers agreement as captain mahoney just said, we would have no say in the makeup of what that looked like. we would have no opportunity for input into what the regional interop prohibit -- interop prohibit structure, how things were structured. it's important that san francisco play this role. i believe that in the pay area we really are the center focus and public safety response is so

important. if you think about a major emergency occurring, be it a natural or man-made, in san francisco, we want to make sure that we can talk to our regional partners who come in to support us. we want to make sure that we have that capability. and through this j.p.a., it sets up the governance structure so that we will be able to do that. commissioner mirkarimi: it's not a question of if but when? >> that's correct. commissioner mirkarimi: we want to prepare accordingly. >> the other thing, i'm sorry i failed to mention, is that there is also a second component of this which not just public safety users but also there will be a dedicated broadband network for the -- what they are calling underserved areas, anchor institutions like libraries, churches, schools. we'll be able to have access to the internet as well. that's the second component of this.

commissioner mirkarimi: what do we expect after this? once the creation s. there any other kind of process -- creation, is there any other kind of processing to help further along -- >> we have already been working on boon negotiations which is build, operate, own, and maintain -- boom negotiations. commissioner mirkarimi: the federal government is into acronyms. >> it's true. but until the j.p.a. is up and operational, we can't negotiate with motorola. we are trying to set the framework right now, but motorola as a private -- is part of private industry, we want to make sure that we get the best deal for what they are going to be able to provide us. and through the boom we will be able to negotiate and i believe really be able to provide the best services for san francisco. one of the questions you asked

miss gettis while she was up here about what's next in terms of hardware that's coming up and whether or not there was any money for it. i do believe since this is a priority of president obama that there will be additional money coming down the line over the next two, three, five years. i have very good news to report. we just heard yesterday that the 2011 grant application for uwasi which we were anticipating would be between an 18% and 20% cut, that san francisco was held harmless. so we are going to be getting the 2010 grant award. so that was a huge victory for us. commissioner mirkarimi: that is great. good. we have been having some decent budget news lately. >> we also -- this isn't the last time you'll see us. we'll be coming back to the board as we look at sites for our cell towers, etc. we'll be coming to you for that approval. if we are purchasing further equipment, you will be hearing

about that. so this is just the first step. this is setting up the framework again. but you will be seeing much of us in the future. commissioner mirkarimi: are there new staff positions being created as well? >> at this point, no. i did fill on the uwasi staff, i did fill a position that had been vacant for seven months with someone from our department of technology who could not be here today, but he is very well informed on this project. and from his d.t. hat has worked on it for many, many months. we are really lucky to have him. that's barry, and he's just -- it's his second week on the job. and i'm sure that as we roll this out there will be other opportunities for additional personnel. commissioner mirkarimi: excellent. any comments or questions? just one that i think i had indicated, madam clerk, i wanted to be a co-sponsor. it's not on this agenda, but it

may be on the legislation. >> yes, mr. chairman. it's on the legislation. and has been added to the system. >> i thank you both for co-sponsoring this. that means a lot to us to have your support. and i think being early leaders in this, my hope is that the j.p.a. will be up and functional. we'll have 10 signators on it by mid to late june. commissioner mirkarimi: i have a question for the captain. something that occurred to me maybe not on the level of the j.p.a., i'm sort of stretching a little bit in the brainstorming, but since we are in the public safety committee, why isn't there a regional round table like this just on normal public safety? for the nine area county, that may not have to be memorialized by j.p.a., like we have bay area regional governments, but something that just allows for the public safety partners that would be able to coalesce

together but do so not just in a formal but informal way. i don't mean to put you in the spot, but i think this raises a good example that perhaps this could be applied in other endeavors not just for man-made or natural disasters, but the day to day efforts of us fighting crime, since we often hear people coming from other jurisdiction, coming to san francisco, blah, blah, blah, why isn't something more formalized? feel free to say we'll talk about this offline. >> that's an excellent question. we do in certain areas. we just don't do it as an all inclusive collective conversation. like you'll have m.t.a. and part get together and talk. and with the san mateo county transit. those three will get together and talk. and you'll get all of the county with the county of alameda to talk about mutual things. that's something san francisco hasn't jumped into the forefront on, like mutual aid issues.

it's an excellent idea to probably have all the leaders either get together maybe once a quarter and talk about what's going on, because with transit, with bart, with all the commuter-type ways of coming into san francisco, clearly our criminals are going somewhere else and committing crime and their criminals are coming to our city. i think this would be a perfect segue to that. commissioner mirkarimi: perhaps we can all give it thought and figure out a way if there is any relevance to this template and how we can further that along. it's time san francisco i think is talking more formally with other jurisdictions and have a more regional -- everything's becoming regionalized in many ways because of where the state is or is not going, right? it's sort of deflecting responsibility back to us. maybe like this example of us stepping up and wanting to maintain our leadership, this gives us purpose on the normal challenges.

a commissioner cohen: i wanted to chime in on this conversation and i believe that technology, which is the purpose we are here today to talk about, but technology is also forcing cities to start to plan from a regional perspective. as well as a more broad vision of how we'd like the bay area to -- what safety would look like for the entire bay area. and san francisco's i think beginning to think outside our little geographical boundaries, out of our little districts and begin to really take this very seriously. commissioner mirkarimi: it's true. whatever progress or gains we make here in fighting crime, and public safety in the city, you would be hard to ignore that someone of just a few miles away across the bay is having an exorbitant problem and that doesn't somehow impact us eventually. it just would make sense if there was something along this model that would apply to the

current challenges. >> you are probably going to see that with the start of the formation of the groups getting together for america's cup. that would be a perfect segue from talking about that one narrow focus to a much more broader picture. commissioner mirkarimi: the first meeting in the bay right there. bring everybody together. >> also i think with the conversations that i have had with the new chief, you'll also start to see a more hiegereegal approach how we make sure our residents are safe. commissioner mirkarimi: good. thank you for that answer. commissioner cohen: i also think with the new m.o.u. for our work spanning the footprint and we are adding mari nifment county, and san mateo county, but those are the kinds of things we have been talking about. we need to do that regional planning. and uwasi pays for regional planning. i think it's not exactly what

you are looking for, but it's one piece of the puzzle. commissioner mirkarimi: i think it's relevant. i think it really helps sets up kind of an overlay we can use for something else. because you already are establishing what that structure looks like for cooperation. i think that that serves a purpose for other things. such as what we just talked about. i don't think we have any more questions or comments. thank you. is there any public comment on this item? seeing none, public comment is closed. may we take this motion with recommendation. very good. so moved. thank you. madam clerk, is there anything further? >> i believe this item needs to go in the committee report commissioner mirkarimi: he believe it does. -- i believe it does. >> there are no further items before the committee, mr. chairman. commissioner mirkarimi: i want to thank sfgtv for their fine ongoing coverage. this now concludes the public safety committee. thank you all.